Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art has been a staple in the Westchester community for fifteen years. On October 13, it reopens its doors as Hudson Valley MOCA (or Hudson Valley Museum of Contemporary Art) with an expanded mission to bring world-class art to the region through community engagement and education programming.

Hudson Valley MOCA’s inaugural exhibition will draw inspiration and exhibited works exclusively from the extensive collection of its founders, the Straus family. Death is Irrelevant: Selections from the Marc and Livia Straus Collection, 1968–2018, on view through August 2, 2019, explores the human condition through representations of the human body. Contemporary figurative sculptures that span more than 40 years take an existential look into whether art-making is an act of self-preservation or a projected dialogue about societal ideas. Twenty-six artists from 17 countries present perspectives into one’s existence. For instance, Entang Wiharso struggles with his children’s exposure to both Western and Indonesian cultures, while Damien Hirst’s work, from which the exhibition is named, touches on religion, death and immortality.

An opening reception will take place on October 13. The reception will include two performances by Shawn Lawson and the Progression Ensemble, as well as a solo clarinet performance by David Rothenberg. For more info, visit the Museum’s new website at hudsonvalleymoca.org.

A version of this article first appeared in the October issue of ArtsNews, ArtsWestchester’s monthly publication. ArtsNews is distributed throughout Westchester County. A digital copy is also available at artsw.org/artsnews.